Irish Rose
by emotional-static
Summary: When Tommy Ryan left Ireland for a better life in America, he never expected to find friendship in Jack and Fabrizio, let alone love in a perfect stranger.


IRISH ROSE

Author's Note: This is my first _Titanic_ fan fiction, although not the first fan fiction I've ever written. You can check out the rest of my stories under my bio. I've always meant to write something for this section, but never really got around to it.

Firstly, there are some important changes I've made. Jack does not die, and neither does Fabrizio or Tommy. I'm keeping all three around because they are important to the plot of my story.

However, this story is not all about Jack and Rose, although they do have a part in it. So for you Jack and Rose fans, this is for you too! Tommy will be playing a much larger part (hence the title), and so will an original character. 

**Disclaimer:** Titanic and its characters are property of James Cameron and other respective owners. No infringement intended. I do, however, claim Sophie as my own creation. 

Enjoy & don't forget to leave a review!

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PROLOGUE

April 17th, 1912

_"How is she?"_

Twenty-one year old Tommy Ryan looked up into the eyes of his friend, Jack Dawson. "Sleeping still. She woke up before for a drink, an' we talked. She's been asleep ever since."

"That's a good sign. Sophie's a fighter, she'll make it." Jack hesitantly glanced around the cabin he and Rose were sharing with Tommy. "Officers say we'll dock in New York City tomorrow night."

"I've had about enough traveling for a lifetime," Tommy remarked lightly. "It wasn't supposed to be like this, was it, Jack?"

"Nobody knew anything. There's no way we could have known about this."

Tommy rested his hand on his knee and sighed. "Then what happens after this?"

"We see where life takes us. Go to California," Jack smiled. "I better get back to Rose. I promised her we'd take a walk around the decks when she finished talking to the doctor."

Tommy nodded, and Jack departed from the cabin. He reached his hand over and stroked Sophie's pale cheek. "Wake up, Sophie. Wake up."

All he wanted to see was her smile—the one that had lit up the room the very first night he had met her. He'd be damned if he let the sinking get the best of them all. It was time to get their lives back.

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Southampton, England 

April 10th

"Fabrizio, you're not gonna see your momma again for a long time…because you're goin' to America! Full house, boys!"

"Did you see the look on their faces?" Jack laughed, running alongside Fabrizio as they raced towards the Titanic and farther away from the pub. 

"I did, I did!" Fabrizio laughed. "We go to L'America! Our destiny." And with that said, he slammed straight into a young woman, who had been balancing a small wallet in one hand and a suitcase in the other. The suitcase dropped at her feet, and the contents of the wallet scattered onto the dock. From the force of the impact, she looked about ready to fall straight over, so Jack gently grabbed onto her elbow to help her regain her balance.

"Sorry! My apologies," Fabrizio grinned sheepishly. Jack bent down and started gathering the coins and money, placing them back in the wallet as she too bent down as well.

"It's all right. Not your fault. It's incredibly crowded around here anyway."

Jack glanced up at the young woman's face and smiled. He took in her fashionable mauve dress and matching hat, as well as the two suitcases that were resting behind her. He wasn't quite sure if she was first class or not, but by the looks of it, she was well off enough to at least be in second class. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a twist of some sorts, and the brim of her hat shaded her blue eyes from the morning sunlight. "Going on the Titanic?"

"It appears so, doesn't it? That is, if this ridiculous line ever ends that I seem to be waiting in," she chided. "Well thank you, Mr.—"

"Dawson. Jack Dawson." He stuck out his hand and she placed her gloved hand in it. "Really, we're sorry about all this mess. We're just in a hurry to board, that's all."

"Yes, we're sorry," Fabrizio added. He too stuck out his hand. "Fabrizio De Rossi."

"Nice to meet you both, Jack and Fabrizio. I'm Sophie Johnston."

"Miss Johnston!"

Sophie turned around in the direction of which her name had been called. "Over here, Henry."

A middle aged man nodded and walked towards her. "There you are, Miss. I'll take your bags then with me to your cabin then, if that's all right."

"That's lovely, thank you," Sophie smiled warmly. "And we're second class cabin E-52."

Jack eyed the slow moving line in front of Sophie and then spotted the nearly empty area around the third class boarding gangplank. "I think that gangplank loads on E deck there. Maybe you'd like to board there instead, seeing as you might just still be here when the Titanic leaves port," he laughed. "But if you don't want to board through third class I guess I'd understand."

"Oh no," Sophie smiled. "Not a problem at all. The sooner I board anywhere, the sooner I get to Boston. I assume you and Fabrizio would like to escort me, then?"

"It would be my pleasure," Fabrizio grinned. 

"Our pleasure," Jack corrected.

"Ah, this way, then?" Fabrizio allowed Sophie to walk before him as Jack led the way. They reached it just in time as the Officer started detaching the plank.

"Wait, we're passengers!" Jack shouted out. "The three of us." He held out his and Fabrizio's tickets for the man to inspect, and Sophie brought out hers as well. The officer then questioned them about inspection, which Jack convincingly lied about.

"Thank you, Miss." He checked Sophie's ticket and smiled. "Come on board and welcome to the Titanic." The officer waved all three of them through.

"Well, it's been wonderful to meet you both. Perhaps I'll see you around the ship then, and if I don't, have a good trip and enjoy yourselves," Sophie smiled. "I really should be heading towards my cabin now. Good day to you."

"Likewise," Jack responded. "See you around."

"Yes, see you," Fabrizio added. He then followed Jack down the white linoleum corridors towards their cabin, G-44. 

Jack turned back to Fabrizio and laughed. "We're the luckiest sons of bitches in the world!"

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Around nine o'clock later that evening, Sophie had settled into her warm bed. As she pulled the covers up around her waist, she glanced out the porthole and sighed. Her father's companion assistant, Henry Myers, was settled on the other side of the room in his own bed, scanning the contents of a book wordlessly. She respected Henry, for it was he that had been with her family ever since she was born, twenty years beforehand. Well, twenty years for her next week anyway. She hoped that she would be able to celebrate her birthday with her father instead of on a ship in the north Atlantic. 

"Is it all right if I turn down this light, Henry?"

"Oh, of course Miss Sophie. I was just about to finish up with this chapter anyway. Long, exciting day, eh?" Henry chuckled.

"Yes, it has been. I still say this ship is going to take some getting used to. I know that once I get used to it, it'll be time for us to depart anyway," Sophie smiled at him. "I can't seem to win either way. I wonder if we've left France yet."

"It was only supposed to have been a two hour stop, so I think it would be wise to judge that we have and are now on our way to Ireland."

"And then, New York. Hmm. It **has** been a long day. Good night, Henry. Let me know how that book turns out. Perhaps I'll have to read it then." She turned down the light and settled into her pillows, closing her eyes.

"Good night, Miss."

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I know it's a little short, but it's only the first chapter. Please review!!


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